DIY Brass Tumbler

[tris]

I'm making a silver metal clay (PMC or Art Clay) bracelet for my wife's 70th Birthday this year

After firing it needs to be tumbled/polished in a tumbler with steel shot and this is the first one I'll have done

I know that some of the guys on here load their own cartridges and the internet shows people cleaning their brass prior to reloading in a tumbler (apologies for my lack of gun vocabulary  )

Any one got a lead on a good DIY version I could cobble together before I splash out on the real Mcoy?

Cheers

Tris

[kirb]

DIY? Don't bother. They are a PITA to make correctly without shaking all the parts...well, apart.

You can get one from ebay for under $100. Totally fine for how often you will use it. I have two- one from Berry MFG for my pinball parts days and another brand to run dual tubs while reloading. The second one with brass sifter that sits over a 5 gallon bucket kicks ass.

The sub $100 ones on ebay look like what you need. Don't load them too full of heavy media and you should be fine. You would be surprised how well it cleans using corn-cob or walnut media and a bit of brass polish, or Novus #2 (for plastics, but works the same).

Ultra sonic cleaning is also a nice follow up for getting intricate parts clean after the cob media is in the nooks and crannys... ebay one of those as well. I have a 10liter one that I really like.

[dguzzi]

Maybe a simple rock tumbler would do that job?

[Zoom Zoom]

My dad used a tin coffee can riding on a couple rollers. He used corn cob as the media. Not sure about the rest of the tumbler and dad has been gone for some time now.

John Henry

[Chuck in Indiana]

HF had one when I was in there one day. Cheap.

[SmithSwede]

I'm shocked that nobody has offered a proper Guzzi cheapskate answer.

Don't buy special cleaning media.   Get a 50 pound sack of chicken scratch instead.   You will have a lot left over, and can feed the dirty media to your older or least favorite chickens. 

Then toss the part to be cleaned, along with a handful of chicken scratch, behind one of your hubcaps.  Drive 500 miles. 

[Flea]

I've got one of these at the shop for small parts. Alot of off brands of the thing so you may be able to find one significantly cheaper.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-18-lb-tumbler.html


Also came across this:

[Guzzi Gal]

Check out http://www.riogrande.com for jewelry making supplies.  They aren't always the least expensive but perusing the catalogs can be quite an education in itself.   

[craigclu]

I'm a reloader and have been using a Lyman vibrating tumbler.  I also am a darkroom photography hobbyist and I see the tube rollers sold on eBay for very little money.  For an occasional use, I don't know why one of these wouldn't be just fine with a coffee can and your chosen media.





Many brands and prices but there are many more for sale than buyers these days so I'm sure you could find one on the cheap end of things.

[tris]

Cheers everyone 

Craig - what is the correct description for for the drive bit of what you've shown?

I don't desperately want to make one, but there is some satisfaction in making the tool as well as using it

Tris

[wymple]

Mine is probably too big....

https://youtu.be/GQEX86mYG3s

[Chuck in Indiana]

Mine is probably too big....

https://youtu.be/GQEX86mYG3s

Yeah.. that might be a little much for a bracelet..